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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24582433">The More Things Change...</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Barachiel1976/pseuds/Barachiel1976'>Barachiel1976</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:27:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,273</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24582433</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Barachiel1976/pseuds/Barachiel1976</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What if things went just a little bit differently when Barret kicks Cloud out of the bar?  Big changes can come from little things.  Of course, most changes don't have Plot Ghosts fighting them every step of the way, either...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife, Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart, Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife, Jessie &amp; Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>66</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The More Things Change...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>First off, let me say that anyone here for the shipping is going to have to wait a bit.  I put the tags in for my favored ship, as this will undoubtedly get there eventually, but I'm focusing more on narrative than just shipping, so expect a slow burn.  You've been warned.  It also may or may not dovetail to Cloud/Jesse early on, but I'm not sure, so I put the more neutral "&amp;" tag for them, just to cover my ass.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“We won’t be needing you for this next job,” Barret growled, his voice dripping with the thinly veiled condescension that colored most of his interactions with their hired mercenary. “Feel free to look for work elsewehere.”</p><p>“Fine by me,” Cloud retorted, perhaps a touch too quickly. “That’s how I like it. No contracts, no obligations.” He turned to meet Barret’s gaze with one of his own, refusing to back down.</p><p>The big man’s mouth threatened to pull up into a smirk, but for once, he passed up the urge to throw a putdown at the other man. “Figured you’d say that.” Then he reached over and set a sack of coins down on the bartop. “Here. The rest of your payment, along with a little something extra for your exemplary service. And thus concludes our business. Gonna have to ask you to leave now. This is a *private* affair.” And with that, Avalanche’s leader turned and walked away from him.</p><p>Outwardly, Cloud made no reaction to the comment, but something deep inside him stirred at the comment. He squashed it immediately though, as Jesse approached him.</p><p>“Sorry, I tried,” she offered apologetically. “We talked it over, but… in the end… we didn’t want to put so much on you. This is our fight.” The lie felt like ash rolling off her tongue, but she didn’t know what else to say. Oh sure, that was the narrative Barret pushed, but it was obvious to all of them what the real reason was: Cloud wasn’t a true believer, and more importantly, he didn’t roll over every time Barret growled at him. In fact, he seemed to let the big man’s constant insults just roll off him, more often than not, which seemed to only aggravate their leader even more.</p><p>“Jessie! What’s the hold up?!” Biggs called out from across the bar, impatient to get started.</p><p>That only made her wince, as she was trying to smooth things out with the man that had saved her life twice, on their last mission. “Be right there,” she called out, before turning back to the blonde merc still sitting at the bar, staring quietly at the drink in his hand. “No hard feelings, huh?”</p><p>“It’s fine.” The response was cold and mechanical, and oh-so Cloud. She also didn’t buy it for a minute. Barret’s jabs and insults had bounced harmlessly off his cool exterior, but Jesse knew an act when she saw one. This time, their leader’s words has found their mark.</p><p>“Let’s talk more after I’m done here, okay?” asked the team’s resident demolitions expert.</p><p>Cloud’s shoulders relaxed a little, as he assured her, “Really, it’s fine.” The act was improving, she noted. This guy could have had a career as an actor with some time and training.</p><p>“Jesse, come on, I’m dyin’ here!” whined Wedge, his hand smacking against the table like a baby crying for its bottle. It was all Jesse could do to not whirl and snap at him to just start without her. But as she looked at her two compatriots, the rebuke died on her lips. They were waiting on their usual toast.</p><p>She tossed a quick glance back to Cloud, who had put his glass down and was standing up to leave. For a moment, she considered defying their leader and asking him to join them. But then she realized how awkward that would make him feel, so she did the only thing she could think of: let him exit gracefully with his dignity intact. She’d find him afterwards; it had taken her a bit of digging to find an appropriate payment for his services, and she really needed them tonight, what with the late night raid she had planned.</p><p>So Jesse flashed the spiky-haired merc her best smile, turned on her heel, and called back, “sorry to keep you thirsty boys waiting!” She skipped across the room, as though nothing were wrong, dropped into her seat and grabbed the bottle waiting for her. Then the five members of their little ostracized cell raised them hands in toast and called out “AVALANCHE!”</p><p>At the bar, Cloud listened to the toast, and the clear sense of camaraderie the group had with each other. It was stupid. *They* were stupid. They thought blowing up reactors was going to save the planet, and here they were, celebrating the fact that their little stunt had killed hundreds of people. He could still recall with perfect clarity the heat and flame coming from the nearby buildings of… (Nibelheim)… Sector Eight. Wincing, Cloud shook his head, and quickly downed the last of the drink Tifa had made him, letting it numb the pain in his temples.</p><p>He’d go out, hit the streets, and find some work to do for the day; maybe kill some more monsters out in the scrapyards. He had to admit, Tifa had been right about the whole building connections thing. Around him, he could hear the group laughing and bantering with each other, though he paid little heed to the words, at least until a second toast to the group echoed off the walls.</p><p>Speaking of Tifa, he should let her know what his plans were, in case she went looking for him later. Pushing away from the bar, he moseyed over towards the table she was sharing with Barret. Best to keep this quick, so as to not have to deal with any more of his bullshit. But as he walked up, Tifa glanced away from him, refusing to look at him.</p><p>“Don’t take this the wrong way, but right now, I need to spend time with the gang.”</p><p>Cloud stopped for a moment. He knew better than to cast a glance at Barret, knowing he’d be smirking in triumph. But that didn’t stop him from hearing his words. “When a job’s done, we’re done. Your words.”</p><p>Right. That was how he liked it. So why was it getting to him now? Stupid, stupid, stupid! He took that sense of alienation and shoved into the dark recesses of his mind, into the same coffin his childhood self was buried in. He ignored the larger man, nodded in acknowledgment to Tifa, and headed for the doors.</p><p>For her part, Jesse had been watching the exchange out of the corner of her eye, and was shocked at how casually Tifa had given her old friend the brush-off. There were about a dozen different ways she could have handled that, and she picked practically the worst one possible. Next chance she got, Tifa was going to get an earful. Cloud strode past, his cool merc mask strapped on tight. “We’ll talk later,” she called out, but if he heard her, he didn’t acknowledge it.</p><p>*                            *                      *</p><p>Striding outside, Cloud’s mako-enhanced eyes adjusted quickly to the bright light. His mind was awhirl with feelings and thoughts, all of which he was trying very hard to ignore. This wasn’t him anymore. Not since he joined… (SOLDIER)… SOLDIER. Across the way, there was something of a commotion as a group of strange looking thugs, all of whom seemed to be wearing the same gang logo were interrogating some of the locals.</p><p>On instinct, Cloud turned to the group and moved to intercept them. He wasn’t letting bullies push people around right in front of him, money or not. But as he did so, the pain in his temple suddenly grew worse. His vision sputtered, and as he grabbed his head, another nightmare stepped into view.</p><p>From the group of thugs emerged Sephiroth’s imposing figure. “No one wants you, not even the dregs of this so-called society.” The tall long-haired warrior’s lips parted into a smirk. “But you’ll always have me… Cloud.” And with that, another lance of pain made him stumble forward. A pair of hands grabbed him by the shoulders and made him steady himself.</p><p>“Hey, brother, you might wanna tone down the day-drinking.” As his vision cleared, he looked up into the face of one of the thugs he’d intended to confront. His boys laughed at that, as none of them were particularly restrained when it came to booze.</p><p>The pain gone, Cloud brushed the man’s hand aside and stepped back. He was a little shorter than Cloud, hair shaved on the sides, but long on top, tied back into some kind of top-knot. “You see a guy with a gun strapped to his right arm? Heard he’s set up shop in the neighborhood.”</p><p>Ah. The hammer was already winding up to fall. Cloud considered, just for a moment, actually giving Barret up. And if it were *just* Barret, he might have followed through on that impulse, but no doubt the other members of Avalanche and maybe even Barret’s little girl, might get hurt when it struck.</p><p>“That depends,” he offered up, nonchalantly.</p><p>The thug took the bait. With a chuckle, he replied, “Clever. Smell an opportunity to make some scratch, do ya?”</p><p>“Five hundred,” was the merc’s only answer.</p><p>The chief lackey wasn’t impressed. Shaking his head, he waggled a pair of fingers in Cloud’s face. “Two hundred.”</p><p>And now to reel him in. “Three.”</p><p>Mr. Top-knot seemingly gave up and shrugged. “Whatever, man. Let’s find somewhere quiet to talk.” More like somewhere more quiet to try and beat the information out of me, though the young man. Idiots.</p><p>The gang quickly fell into a circle around him, leading him to Rat Alley, next to 7th Heaven. As the moved, Cloud could hear the onlookers murmuring to themselves as they watched him go. Some clearly thought he was about to sell out Barret. Whatever. He didn’t care what they thought.</p><p>As they moved, the thugs sneered and jibed at the locals, and like the idiots they were, gave up their home base: someplace called Wall Market. Cloud made a note to ask around later, find out where that was. They also made the usual threats and friendly warnings; as if being in a gang made them untouchable.</p><p>Of course, they let him go in first, but once they were all inside, they spread out, all eyes on him. Mr. Top-knot stepped forward, and got straight to business. “Spill it! You know where the bastard’s hiding, don’t you?”</p><p>Slowly, Cloud turned around, his body tensing for the inevitable. “I told you before… that depends.”</p><p>The lead hoodlum clearly had enough. “You wasting my time?!”</p><p>“Shinra’s time, you mean?”</p><p>The other man sneered and drew a knife from behind is back. Apparently that was the signal for the others to do the same. Most only had knives but two had small sub-machine guns. They’d have to be dealt with quickly. “Shinra knows better than to stick its nose in my bosses’ business.”</p><p>Could this idiot be any more of a cliche? The only reason Shinra hadn’t crushed their boss and whatever gang he ran was because it was clearly more profitable to use him to put pressure on the slums, rather than do it themselves. The moment they became an annoyance, they’d also get a taste of the Shinra sledgehammer.</p><p>Still, Cloud managed to suppress the reflex to roll his eyes, and instead drew his new sword, kindly donated by the weapons shopkeeper. “Like I give a shit.”</p><p>And with that, it started. Before the idiots could even process what was happening, Cloud leapt forward in a burst of mako energy, slamming into their leader and knocking him down. Now firmly in the middle of their formation, the two packing guns couldn’t fire without hitting their buddies, buying him a few seconds.</p><p>Shifting into his more aggressive stance, the ex-SOLDIER began spinning his blade in wide sweeping arcs. This drove those with knives back, but also cleared the way for their comrades to fire at him.</p><p>Or, it would have, had Cloud stayed still. Once he’d scattered the first group, the merc turned towards the gunman on the right flank, and called fire to his hand. The materia in his bracer answered the call, sending a wave of fire swirling intto his hand. The gunman had the good sense to spit out “oh shit!” before diving for cover.</p><p>His fellow hitter, who was facing Cloud’s back, saw his chance, and readied his weapon, taking a moment to steady his aim. He had this spiky haired asshole cold, no need to waste this golden opportunity. Unfortunately, the other man had counted on the first gunman eating dirt. So instead of arcing his way towards the target he’d designated to begin with… the man behind him.</p><p>Gunner #2 burst into flames, and fell to the ground screaming, rolling frantically in the dirt trying to put himself out. Two of his buddies ran over to help, cutting the number of active attackers in half.</p><p>Top-Knot had finally figured out they weren’t messing with some poser carrying around a big sword to shore up his… shortcomings. The man rose to his feet shakily, letting the knife clatter to the ground. So far, Cloud hadn’t done anymore than rough them up, barring the one guy who’d be getting burns treated. Best to let them go with a warning to take to their boss: stay out of Sector 7.</p><p>The leader of the thugs began to speak when another lance of pain shot through his temples. Not now! If these idiots took advantage of this moment, he could be in serious trouble.</p><p>“Oh, you need not worry,” came an all-too-familiar voice. Looking up, he saw Top-Knot frozen in place, and his former idol, Sephiroth stepping around him to stand between the lackey and Cloud.</p><p>“You’re not real,” growled Cloud. His nemesis answered this protest with a smirk.</p><p>“I’m as real as you are… Cloud.” The smirk widened, as if laughing at him. He just stood there, his long silver-white hair flowing past his shoulders and down his back, not moving, only speaking the same, soft, almost hypnotic tone. “You’ve been rejected, cast out… again. Where will you go? What will you do?”</p><p>The searing pain made its way deeper into his skull, blood pounding, ears roaring, and yet he could still see and hear the phantom in front of him. “Shut… up!”</p><p>The legendary SOLDIER continued on as if he’d said nothing. “You’re a failure, Cloud. You’ve always failed when it mattered. They know that. That’s why they want to leave you behind. Everyone you care about… dies.”</p><p>Taking a step closer, his voice dropped to a low whisper, “I’ll make sure of it.”</p><p>At those words, the pain vanished in a wave of rage. “BASTARD!!!!!” Cloud launched himself forward, and brought the sword down in a axe-like blow, only for Sephiroth to side step it.</p><p>The enraged mercenary unleashed a rapid series of strikes, only for his adversary to dance around every one, leading him around the open field of Rat Alley. The contemptuous ease at which Sephiroth avoided his blows only fueled Cloud’s anger, and so he gave chase. The two continued their waltz, until the older warrior came to a sudden halt. Sensing a chance, Cloud leapt through the air, and brought his blade crashing down onto Sephiroth’s skull.</p><p>Only it wasn’t Sephiroth’s. In a blink, the red evaporated from his rage-filled mind, and he saw that it was not the man who burned his home to the ground that was split in twain upon his sword. It was Top-Knot.</p><p>Looking around, Cloud saw that all the thugs lay dead now, cut into pieces by his fury. His hands were trembling now, as he took in the carnage before him. He didn’t need to look down to know that his hands were covered in their blood, that it ran down his face.</p><p>In response, there came only the wind, carrying Sephiroth’s words to him. “How will you protect them… from yourself?”</p><p>This was bad. The gang leader was sure to retaliate. Everyone had seen Cloud go into Rat Alley with them, and he knew he didn’t exactly “blend in” with the local populace. Neither did Barret, but this was his home. The people here looked out for each other. They wouldn’t ferret Avalanche’s leader out easily. But Cloud?</p><p>He was a stranger, an … (unwanted)… useful tool, nothing more. There were any number of people who’d give him up for a little gil, like the item store owner. And he lived right next to Tifa. If they came for him, they might get her instead. Rather than protect her, as he’d promised, he might put her in greater harm than any naive eco-terrorist ideals.</p><p>No, there was only one thing he could do now. Leave.</p><p>Placing the sword upon his back once again, Cloud surveyed the dead. It took him but a moment to find the bag of bribe money he’d been given. Several thousand gil lined it, giving Cloud a nice little nest egg. He also made note of the dragon sigil they all wore; with a little effort it would lead him to their boss. Once he put the ringleader down, things would be safe. Tifa would be safe.</p><p>Adding his wages from the last couple of days with the “appropriated” funds of some unknown crime lord, Cloud stepped from Rat Alley. A crowd had formed at the base of the stairs leading up to the abandoned yard. None were will to risk coming closer than that, it would seem.</p><p>He ignored the looks and whispers of the onlookers, and made his way at a swift pace towards the Sector 7 train station. It was a short walk, as 7th Heaven was in a prime location to pick up patrons from the foot traffic coming to and from. He glanced over the schedule, but saw nothing about any “Wall Market.” So left with nothing else, he strode up the conductor and asked him directly.</p><p>“Wall Market’s not a stop,” said the main in the red coat and hat. He was middle-aged, with a well-kept mustache, and tired-looking eyes.</p><p>“Then what is it?” asked the merc, his impatience showing.</p><p>“You must be new,” the conductor muttered. “Wall Market’s the only habitable area of Sector 6. It’s a vice den of drugs, gambling, and whoring. It’s also the only real entertainment district in the Slums, so plenty of normal folk go there, too. Though not all come back.”</p><p>That tracked. A well-established crime lord the next sector over would make an excellent bit of local muscle for Shinra to use to flex its power in the Slums without having to roll out and show up in person. It also sounded like a prime place to find work, he noted. “How do I get there?”</p><p>“Only a couple of official ways,” replied the other man. “You can wait for the sector gates to open and just stroll on through, if you’re patient and don’t mind hoofing it.” He gave Cloud a glance. “The only other option is by chocobo.”</p><p>“By chocobo?” the spiky-haired young man blinked in surprise. He hadn’t heard of chocobos in Midgar, at least not outside of a race track.</p><p>“Yeah, Chocobo Sam’s carriage service,” he gestured to a sign bearing the large green-and-gold logo not too far away. “Think of ‘em like a smaller scale train service. They run mainly through Sectors 5, 6, and 7. They have a stop over there. Should be another one by any minute.”</p><p>Cloud thanked the man, then darted over to the sign. The conductor had been right. A schedule posted showed one arriving any minute now, and sure enough, a red and yellow carriage draw by a huge yellow bird clattered up to the sign. A young couple, hopped out, laughing chattering away about the good time they’d had, barely paying Cloud any mind.</p><p>Going up to the driver, he asked, “How much to get to Wall Market?”</p><p>“300 gil,” a man with a thin black beard answered. Cloud pulled out three 100 gil coins and tossed them to the driver, who caught them handily. “Hop on in, sir. We’ll wait here for a few minutes to see if we have any more passengers, then we’ll be off.”</p><p>Well, that wasn’t going to do. “There’s an extra coin in it for you if we leave *now.*” Cloud leveled his best steely gaze at the man, who just stared back.</p><p>“Make it two, and you’ve got a deal,” he countered. Two more coins flew threw the air and into the driver’s palm. A moment later, Cloud set his sword to the side, and leaned back, into the seat, trying to relax, his mind awhirl with all that had happened in the last half hour.</p><p>Ultimately, he could only conclude this was for the best. He didn’t want to be around Avalanche any more… (you mean, they didn’t want *you*)… , and now he had a mission, albeit one that wasn’t paying him. Still, a gang boss had to have enemies. Maybe he could find someone to pay him to take them out.</p><p>Yeah, this was definitely for the best.</p><p>*                            *                      *</p><p>The party had been in full swing for about an hour. Some dark force had possessed Biggs into playing some *awful* Chocobo themed mix, which had led the group of happy drunks into a laughing fit as they all begged him to turn it off. Finally, Jesse managed to sneak past him while he fought to keep Tifa and Barret from reaching the jukebox.</p><p>Their comrades groaned in relief as the screeching horror masquerading as music finally came to an end. Well, all but Biggs, but he had just permanently lost his jukebox privileges. “You guys just don’t know good music when you hear it,” he protested, slumping back onto his bar stool. “You’ll see.. It’ll be a hit.”</p><p>“Sure, buddy,” Wedge laughed, clapping him had on the back. Strangely the large young man had the best tolerance for booze outside of Barret himself. He’d drank just as much as the rest of them, but he seemed hardly phased. Probably because he’d been eating as voraciously as the rest of them drank, Jesse figured.</p><p>The laughter trailed off as a knock came from the door. Everyone turned to see Wymer standing just outisde the bar, looking as grave as anyone had ever seen him.</p><p>“Wymer!” Barret called out. “Getcha ass in here, and have a drink!”</p><p>“No can do, Barret. I’m on the clock.” The seriousness of his tone pierced the haze of booze, Barret’s demeanor instantly shifting.</p><p>“What’s wrong? Public Security come back for another sweep?”</p><p>The head of the neighborhood watch just shook his head. “Not Shinra. Something else.” He gestured for his old friend to follow.</p><p>“Shape up, people. Party’s over,” announced their leader. And just like that, the other four members of Avalanche put down their drinks, and put their game faces on.</p><p>The closest thing to a town mayor explained as they walked. “Some guys showed up a little while ago, wearing Don Corneo’s sign.” That cleared the last of the buzz from all their heads. Everyone knew about Wall Market’s august master, and the iron-fist with which he controlled the underworld of the Slums. “They were going around asking about a guy with a gun for a right arm. Of course, no one told them anything. Then they approached that blonde merc you guys been hanging out with.”</p><p>Behind his sunglasses, Barret’s eyes narrowed and teeth clenched. “That sonovabitch sold us out! I fuckin’ knew he couldn’t be trusted!”</p><p>“I can’t believe that!” Tifa immediately objected, and Jesse jumped right in on her side.</p><p>“He may be a merc, but he’s not a snitch, boss. No way!”</p><p>“You heard that little runt. All he cared about was money. He ain't got no loyalty, doesn’t understand the first thing about fightin’ for a cause! Never should have trusted an ex-SOLDIER! Any dog that would bite one master would bite another, just a matter of time.” Barret slammed his large fist against the curved corrugated metal walls of the makeshift market. “I find that spiky-haired little shit, I’m gonna end him.”</p><p>“You… might want to hold off on that,” said the head watchman. To Tifa’s surprise, Wymer didn’t take them far, but instead next door to the area leading to Rat Alley. “They went in here.”</p><p>Barret gave the man a curious glance, then hunkered down low to try and fit his way through the tiny opening. It was tough, and more than a little funny to watch, Jesse thought to herself. Then the rest of them went through, one by one, only to behold the tableau that awaited them.</p><p>Jesse was the last to enter, and she nearly collided face-first with Wedge’s big butt as he stood right in front of the tiny entrance way. “Move it, Wedge!” She hissed. Her friend stumbled forward, and that was when Jesse noticed two things.</p><p>The first was the silence. It was like everyone was holding their breath. Even Barret had stopped his ranting.</p><p>The second was the coppery scent of blood mixed with fetid aroma of viscera. Finally, Wedge stepped away allowing Jesse a clear look at the bodies spread across the typically empty yard.</p><p>“Holy shit,” muttered their large and imposing leader, finally breaking the silence. One thug had been split from shoulder to groin, and fell apart in two neat halves, like something out of an old cartoon. Another had his intestines strewn all over the yard from where he’d been gutted by a large blade. Still another, had been decapitated. On, and on it went, each corpse more grisly than the last.</p><p>“Its like a slaughterhouse,” whispered Tifa, who’s eyes had grown as wide as teacups at the sight.</p><p>“Di… did Cloud… do this?” Wedge tore his eyes away and hunkered down, trying to keep his lunch for rushing back up his throat.</p><p>“No way,” denied Biggs. “He’s hardcore, but he’s not… this was someone else.”</p><p>“Seven of them came in. Only your blonde friend left,” Wymer informed them, having slipped in after allowing them to take in the scene. “My people said he walked out like nothing happened. They did say he looked pale though. Like he’d seen a ghost.”</p><p>“Which way did he go?” Jesse asked. She’d closed her eyes to the carnage and looked away.</p><p>“He went towards the train station. Gwen says she saw him hop a Choco-stage about half an hour ago.” He hesitated before adding. “She said he was asking around, about how to get to Wall Market.”</p><p>“You don’t think he’s going after Corneo?” Despite the horror show in front of him, Wedge voice held only concern.</p><p>“If he is, then he’s crazier than I thought,” Barret announced. “We need to clean this up. Get rid of the bodies. If any more of the Don’s men come around, last we saw, they were headed to Sector 8.” Wymer nodded, and left to go gather his people for a cleanup detail.</p><p>“What? That’s it? You’re just going to let him go?” Jesse asked, her tone growing more heated with every word.</p><p>“He brought it on himself,” answered their leader. “If he wants to go cut the head off the snake, I say more power to him. Can only be good for the Slums if that fat bastard gets what’s coming to him. If not…”</p><p>The tech expert’s voice came out as low and soft as any of them had ever heard it. “I swear, if you say ‘it’s not our problem’, I will walk over there and rip your other arm off.”</p><p>“Jesse!” Biggs started, reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder, but she slapped it away.</p><p>“No! We used him and threw him out with barely a thank you, and for what?!”</p><p>“We talked about this,” Biggs started, but she wasn’t standing for it anymore.</p><p>“No, HE talked,” she shouted, thrusting a finger at Barrett, “and you… *we* all just let him do what he wanted.”</p><p>“He was a mercenary, Jesse,” reminded Barret, his voice low and controlled despite the hostility being directed at him. “He didn’t believe in our cause. He was just in it for the money. We can’t .. We shouldn’t rely on someone like that.”</p><p>“BULLSHIT!!!” shouted the young woman, all restraint and decorum thrown to wind. “He saved my life! TWICE!!! No one was paying him to do that! And did any of you notice?! NO!! Because you’d all run ahead and left me behind!” The other three members of the team that night winced visbily. Poor Tifa could only look shocked and confused as no one had breathed a word of anyone being that kind of danger that night. “If he hadn’t been there, I’d be DEAD!!! Hell, maybe we all would be. We didn’t exactly do a lot of fighting on that job!”</p><p>“All the more reason,” their leader tried to continue, but the petite brunette cut him off.</p><p>“YOU just didn’t like him! He didn’t want to listen to you lecture him about the planet, so you called him a DOG! You mocked him every step of that mission, trying to bait him into getting into a fight with you! He was there to HELP and you treated him like something you’d scrape off your boot!”</p><p>Tifa stepped up and interposed herself between the two. “You’re being unfair,” she started, but Hurricane Jesse wasn’t about to slow down. Her gaze moved from their leader to their most reluctant team member. Wedge moved to try and calm her down, but Biggs’ arm shot out to hold him back, his face a stoic mask that would have made Cloud proud.</p><p>“And you! He was your FRIEND, and you blew him off, and then didn’t even had the decency to look him in the freakin’ EYES!” The taller woman jerked back as if her friend had just punched her full across the jaw.</p><p>“People came looking for us, for *you*,” she jabbed a finger at Barret, “and he *covered* for us. Hell, he fucking butchered them! And now where’s he going? To Wall Market, to take out the big man himself because he knows that’s the only way to end it.”</p><p>“You don’t know that,” Barret muttered, for once not meeting her eyes with his own fiery resolve.</p><p>“The hell I don’t! Look around you! They’re dead!! He could just walk away. If anyone fingered him to Corneo, so what? He’s an ex-fucking-SOLDIER! He slaughtered these guys and probably didn’t even break a sweat doing it! No, he’s left, to draw them away from Sector 7, and the only reason he’d go to Wall Market is to deal with the don.”</p><p>The fire finally spent, Jesse slumped her shoulders and turned away, not sure which view hurt more, the looks on her friends’ faces, or the carnage they stood amidst. “Yeah, he could be an asshole. He certainly didn’t make it easy to like him. But take it from an actress, sometimes people pretend to be something they’re not, because its the only way to cope with the shitty hand life’s dealt them.”</p><p>“Jesse’s right,” spoke Wedge. “I didn’t want to say anything in the meeting, ‘cause, y’know,” he looked to Barret, “you’d made up your mind, boss. We know once that’s done, there’s no changin’ it, so I didn’t even try. But maybe… I should have.” Biggs nodded, his brow furrowed, as he ran the meeting over and over again in his mind, looking for something he could have said or done differently.</p><p>Next, Tifa spoke up, her voice small and distant. “And I didn’t say anything because we’d already fought over the bombings. Her gaze flickered to Jesse, “I know a lot of you don’t trust me, not out on a mission, and I didn’t want to fight anymore. Cloud seemed so insistent on being a merc, I lied to myself, convinced that we were actually doing him a favor.”</p><p>While all this was going on, Barret turned away from Jesse to once again survey the abattoir that was once Rat Alley. Whoever had done this was a stone-cold brutal killer. True, he had thought the scrawny little runt was a cold bastard, he wasn’t *this*. He didn’t like him, he’d certainly never trust him, especially not around Marlene, something about all this was *wrong.*</p><p>The thing was, Jesse’s words had some truth to ‘em, and he knew it. He couldn’t deny he took a particular delight in harassing the former Shinra lapdog during their mission, but he’d done so not out of spite, at least not at first. His barbs and jibes were to try and bring out the real man behind that icy mercenary facade. Jesse wasn’t the only one who could read people, and they were all of five minutes into the mission when he realized the bad-ass macho act was all to cover the fact that this kid had some serious self-confidence issues. That was the kind of thing that got people killed.</p><p>Of course, the fact that almost nothing he said got the slightest rise out of that spiky-haired asshole did kind of feed it. It just made him push harder, and in retrospect, he probably did take it too far. Especially, if the kid had this kind of rage buried deep inside him. He didn’t have to look at Tifa to know how much this scared her, seeing what he was really capable of. But for Barret, it actually made him like the little bastard just a little bit more. He knew all about that kind of rage, and he knew how to direct it into something more productive. Maybe the two of them could find some common ground, after all.</p><p>“Alright,” he announced, turning back to face his team. “Point’s made. Maybe, the kid’s got our back, after all.”</p><p>For a second, the other four members of Avalanche stood in shocked silence. It was rare for the boss-man to give an inch, especially when attacked as forcefully as Jesse laid into him. But for all his bluster, they followed Barret for a reason, and that was because he cared as much about their lives as he did the mission; that’s what made him a good leader.</p><p>“So what are we going to do about it, boss,” asked Biggs?</p><p>“Well for starters, I want you guys to help Wymer clean this up,” he pointed his thumb back over his shoulder to the mess of bodies. “We gotta get rid of these before more of Corneo’s boys come lookin’.”</p><p>Wedge looked a little green around the edges, but he nodded, dutifully. “Got it, boss.” And with that, the two went to go find Wymer.</p><p>“What are we going to do about *Cloud*?” Jesse inquired impatiently.</p><p>“Right now, nothin’ we can do.” As she and Tifa both opened their mouths to protest, he raised a hand for them to wait. “We got a mission that’s on a timetable. Those codes we got are only good for tomorrow. As you so eagerly pointed out, your boy can take care of himself for a night. Corneo’s well protected, and I doubt even Mr. Ex-Soldier is just going to kick in his front door.”</p><p>Sighing, he reached up and pulled off his sunglasses. He met Tifa’s eyes with his own, and added, in the same soft concerned voice he’d use with his daughter, “I know you’re worried about him. After seein’ this, anyone would be. I also know this mission is not somethin’ you’re lookin’ forward to. But I *need* you on this, Tifa. I promise. Once we get done with Reactor 5, we’ll go find your boy, and bring ‘im home.” He then shifted his gaze to the shorter woman. “Givin’ you the same promise.”</p><p>The pair were clearly not happy with the response, but they also knew he was right, no matter how much they wished otherwise. Cloud was in no *immediate* danger, and their mission had a very limited window of opportunity. “Actually, boss, there’s something I need to run by you.” She winced even as she said the words. She hadn’t intended to involve the others at all, but with Cloud gone, she had no choice. “You, too, Tifa. I may need your help with this.”</p><p>Now that she had the other two’s attention, she laid out her concerns about the bomb and wanting to recut the blasting agent. For once, Tifa actually seemed relieved to be talking about this kind of thing, probably because they were talking about trying to prevent the disaster from last time. Barret, for his part, listened quietly, asked a few direct questions regarding the time it would take and the viability of getting the materials she needed. But, once she laid out how she intended to go about getting what they needed and get back, his stoic leader face split into a grin.</p><p>“What the hell? You know I can’t resist stickin’ it to Shinra. As long as we’re back in time, I’m in. Tifa?”</p><p>The ruby-eyed fighter’s attention was still on the bodies that lay around her, but she nodded her agreement, nonetheless. As the other two slipped out of Rat Alley, the owner of 7th Heaven took one last look at the carnage and whispered to herself, “Cloud… this can’t be you… can it,” before following her comrades out.”</p><p>Above Rat Alley, unseen by all, grey cloaked figures known to some simply as “Whispers” circled around like ghostly buzzards. Things had gone decidedly off the rails, and for once, they were finding it difficult to determine the proper course of action to set things right. Regardless, something needed to be done soon, before the ripples of this act became impossible to contain.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yes, I know Barret comes off much more asshole-ish in this, than he does in the game.  I'm primarily showing him through the lens of Cloud (who over-sensitive to what he's doing), and Jesse (who's angry at him).  I hope by the time he speaks at the end of the chapter, you'll see I do intend to treat him a little more fairly.  But I did want to call him out for his rather egregious behavior in the first couple chapters, which is something the game never really does.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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